Low-maintenance coatings, for example photocatalytic coatings, are well known. A great deal of research has been done in attempting to develop low-maintenance coatings that exhibit good properties, such as self-cleaning properties and hydrophilicity.
Most conventional low-maintenance coatings include a layer of titanium dioxide (i.e., TiO2). While many of these coatings are advantageous, there is much room for improvement. For example, it would be desirable to provide thin low-maintenance coatings that have low visible reflection and good color neutrality, and yet can achieve good photoactivity levels, hydrophilicity, and/or activation ability. It would be particularly desirable to provide coatings that achieve these properties while at the same time being durable, stable, and resistant to haze formation (e.g., during tempering and other heat treatments).